In being a part of UMC and in experiencing the conditions of urban poverty here in New Brunswick, we have committed ourselves, made ourselves obligated, to continue this work. This is our pledge. This is our oath.

On Sunday, Urban Mitzvah Corps has its first ever Alumni Day, in which our UMC cohort hosted about 15 alumni at the current UMC house. We spent the day sharing stories with one another, brainstorming about the future of UMC, and exploring New Brunswick together. It was an important and inspirational day for all involved!

And yet, there are times when the burden of action falls directly on us, when we’ve taken in what we need to know, and our strength, bravery, and willingness to lead is what will help move the world forward.

As our teens build a foundational understanding for the ways that Judaism empowers them to be agents of change, they are beginning to appreciate that the ability to step in, to turn a curse into a blessing, lies with them.

We will continue to work to turn our own and others’ curses into blessings, using our remaining time together in this community and in the New Brunswick community to transform ourselves, turn challenge into triumph, hopelessness into hope, and hate into love.